Dark Side
by SoulSoother59
Summary: A tense confrontation with Skye's ex-boyfriend forces Stephen to take desperate measures to protect his girlfriend from harm. But the results of those actions change their lives forever. And now they're struggling to heal the rift between them and survive as their now separate worlds collide together. SheamusxOC.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**_ This idea came to me when I was sitting on the train after travelling back from London where I met Lou and Katie. Hope you like it :) XxX

_Chapter One - Always Be A Good Boy, Don't Ever Play With Guns_

The thump of the gavel hitting the hardwood soundblock had Skye jumping with fright. Salty tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and dripped down her cheeks. She pulled in a ragged breath, her watery blue eyes connecting with Stephen's cold silvery gaze. He wore a mask of indifference but she knew deep down that he was just as shocked as she was.

Skye watched in sheer horror as the cold shackles of the handcuffs were slapped around one of Stephen's wrists and an officer attempted to haul his arms together. Stephen fought the hold as Skye stood and pushed her way through the crowd of people gathered in the court room.

"Stop it! Please, Ah just want teh say goodbye teh me girlfriend," he spoke in his thick Irish lilt. Skye managed to find her way in between the people, reaching the barricade that separated her and Stephen from each other within a few seconds. Her hands gripped the wood tightly, the tears still leaking down her face as the officer allowed Stephen to approach her. He cupped her face with his now free hands, his big thumbs swiping the teardrops from her cheeks with ease "Please, don' cry," he whispered to her "Everythin' is gonna be alright," the Irishman tried to reassure his girlfriend "Ah'm so sorry. Ah should have listened teh yeh Skye, Ah shouldn't have..."

Skye shook her head wordlessly "Don't. You were just protecting me."

"Wait for me," Stephen moved his hands to her chin, tipping her face back so he could see her eyes once more. With his thumb still smoothing over the soft skin of her cheek, Stephen leaned down, pressing his mouth firmly against hers. Skye whimpered, holding in a sob as she kissed him back.

"Skye!" two hands pressed against her shoulders, stealing her away from Stephen's grip. Angela, her mother, prized her away, holding her shaking daughter within her embrace.

"Ah love yeh!" Stephen called to her as the officer cuffed his wrists together "Remember tha' Skye. Ah love yeh so much!"

* * *

Skye tapped her fingers on the keys of her keyboard, finishing up her paperwork for the week. She had a long day ahead of her, and she'd promised her boss that she'd get all of the data up to date in order to leave earlier than usual.

There was a knock on the door to her office just as she finished entering all the information on her records.

"Come in," Skye called, smiling when her best friend and colleague Daisy popped her head around the corner "Hi," she smiled at the blonde.

"Shouldn't you be away already?" Daisy tutted at her, folding her arms in her designer dress jacket. Skye nodded and stood up, slinging on her black suit jacket. She smoothed her hands down over the black snap-front pencil skirt and the gold draped cowl neck sleeveless top that she wore. Sauntering around the desk, her phone and car keys now in her hand.

"How do I look?" she put her hands on her hips and grinned at the New York native.

"Like one hot mama," Daisy quipped. Skye raised an eyebrow at her "Okay, fine. You look great. You look like you're going to work though."

"I am at work Daisy," Skye shook her head, picking up her black leather bag.

"I know that," Daisy insisted "Are you sure you should be doing this? I mean, is it your place anymore?"

"Of course it's my place. For goodness sake Daisy, why wouldn't I be doing this. I promised!"

"No you didn't Skye. You didn't promise anything to him."

"I made a promise to myself! And I'm going to keep that promise."

"Okay," Daisy held her hands up in surrender "I'm just worried about you honey, I don't want you to get hurt."

"Stephen's not going to hurt me Daisy!"

* * *

_6 Years Previously_

Cheers and applause sounded throughout the bar. Skye wrapped her arms around Stephen's neck tightly, holding him against her in a sweet embrace. He chuckled in her ear and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing one big hand across her lower back.

"Congratulations," she whispered against him "You'll be amazing."

"Ah hope so," he pulled his head back from the crook of her neck, staring down at his girlfriend, who fit so easily into his big arms "Ah promised Ah'd look after yeh Skye. And Ah will."

"I don't need you to look after me Stephen. I love you. And you love me. That's enough."

"It's no' enough. Ah want yeh teh have everythin' yeh ever wanted."

"I already do," she grinned, reaching up to tangle her fingers in his cropped fiery hair, pulling him to her for a kiss.

"Ain't that quite the sight then eh?" a snide remark was issued from behind them. Skye sighed as she pulled away, glancing around Stephen's arm to see her ex-boyfriend Grayer standing behind them, flanked by two of his cronies.

"Leave us alone Gray!" Skye snapped at him "There's no need for a fight."

"I ain't asking for a fight Skye. I'm just here to have a drink with ma friends," he shrugged.

"Then go away and have your drinks. Nobody wants you here," Skye's confidence grew as she felt Stephen's arm slide protectively around her.

"Whoa, calm down there sugar," Grayer held his hands up in surrender "I'm not the one causing trouble."

"Leave. Now!" Skye narrowed her eyes at him. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, she didn't even want to set eyes on him ever again. He backed away slightly but not before muttering the word 'Bitch!' under his breath.

Stephen had practically flown across the room before Skye could stop him, grabbing Grayer by the collar of his grimy t-shirt. Twisting his fist in the material, Stephen snarled at Grayer.

"Yeh want teh repeat tha'?" his words were spoken with a growl "Ah suggest yeh quit while yeh're ahead fella," he shoved Grayer away from him and the smaller man stumbled back, falling to the floor on his backside. Stephen stared down at him "Now fuck off and leave us alone!"

The Irishman backed up and turned when he felt Skye's hand on his back. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her in towards his chest and the brunette laid her head against his chest, silently staring down at Grayer who was still laid out on the floor, watching Stephen and her embracing with a look a maniacal rage.

* * *

_Present Day_

Skye would never forget the night that had changed their lives, forever altering the path that they'd hoped to have. Flashes of memories popped up as she drove along the interstate, heading north.

Skye could feel her chest becoming tighter and her breathing more abnormal as she approached the vicinity of Florida State Prison. She hadn't been here in over 4 years and it had been a rather bitter parting between she and Stephen. And for that she now held a certain amount of fear about what it was going to be like to see him again. Skye could feel that vice like grip around her lungs as she struggled to maintain her even breaths. Everything was so complicated. Stephen had never stopped sending letters to her, even after she moved; she had figured that the new owners had sent his letters back with the forwarding address she'd left. But she'd not had the strength to respond to them. She couldn't deal with the guilt she was feeling at not doing what he'd asked. She'd given up on him. And that's what was fueling her determination to go and get him on his release day.

As she passed through the gates on the outskirts of the prison, Skye gripped the wheel tighter in her hands. Her palms were sweating and she could feel small beads of moisture forming on her forehead. The heat was something else and wearing her black skirt and jacket hadn't been the best idea.

Parking the car outside of the silver gates, Skye killed the engine. Gripping the handle with a shaking hand, she tugged it and got out of the car, slamming the door closed. The sun was beating down and with no trees to shade her, she was exposed to it full force. The gates loomed above her, forcing bile to rise in her throat slightly. She was able to see a sliver to the recreational ground from where she stood, several of the inmates were out and walking about in the yard, clothed in their grey jumpsuits.

A buzzer sounding broke Skye from her thoughts and she turned to the gates, watching as they slid open. She caught a glimpse of Stephen's fiery hair from through the gates. He was bumping fists with one of the guards, a wide smile formed on his lips. Skye swallowed thickly as he turned and looked to her, emerging from the gates. He wore a pair of tattered jeans and a black shirt that was so tight on him, he was almost tearing it at the seams.

His strides were long as he approached her, reaching the front of the car within moment. His silvery gaze ran across her; from the black stilettos she wore on her feet to the top of her brunette curls. Skye found herself appraising him as well. He looked so different that she almost couldn't believe it was him. His skin was still that pale milky colour that she'd loved so much, though his hair was much longer and spiked up around his head. His face now bore facial hair which he'd shaved into a neat and tidy beard and moustache. The biggest difference was his size. He'd always been a bigger man considering he was 6ft 6" in height but now he had the stature to match. His biceps were bigger than Skye's head and his thighs were thick and muscled beneath his jeans. Skye couldn't believe her eyes as she looked at him, sinking her teeth into her lower lip. She was just glad he was in one piece.

"Hello Stephen," Skye managed to mutter.

"Skye," he spoke cooly. He was not happy.

_'Everybody's got a dark side. Do you love me? Can you love mine?'_

_END OF CHAPTER_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_Thanks to **ThatGirl54**, **Carolina Kel **and **SophieO'Shaunessy **for the reviews :). Enjoy! XxX

_Chapter Two - Trade My Soul For A Wish_

The terse overboding silence in the car was really beginning to worry Skye as she drove back down the interstate. Seeing Stephen again had sent all of her emotions haywire and she wasn't at all sure how to handle what she was feeling. Fear; the dominant emotion, was churning in her stomach, tying it up in knots. She also felt a strong sense of shame because she'd left him to rot in there like some debilitating animal.

The heat was still intense even as the sun began to set and she found that even with the window down, it made not a blind bit of difference. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Skye forced herself to keep her eyes on the road, watching the faded and weather-beaten road markings disappear beneath the car as they travelled further and further away from Florida State Prison.

Her mouth opened in a yawn and she ducked her head, fighting the small smile that came to her face.

"Excuse me," she whispered in apology, squeezing her eyes shut tightly before opening them again, concentrating intently on the road.

"Yeh're tired," Stephen said softly "Pull over and Ah'll drive."

"I'm okay Stephen. It's just been a long day that's all," Skye tried to fob him off. She didn't want to put him out, he'd just been released from a 6 year sentence in prison. It was a bit much to expect him to drive her car back to her house.

"Ah'm serious Skye. Ah'll no' have yeh drivin' when yeh're tired."

Skye looked across to him, realisation dawning that Stephen was 100 percent serious. His jaw was set and he was looking right at her. Bringing her eyes back to the road, she looked for a suitable spot to pull the car over, finding one in a nearby layby. As the car came to a stop, Skye undone her seat belt and got out of the car, walking carefully around the car in her heels, being careful not to trip now that dusk had set in. Stephen was already out of the car and he held the door open for her, waiting on her sliding into the car before he shut it tight. Skye licked her lips softly, watching him walk around the front, the headlamps spotlighting him in the dark. He slid almost effortlessly inside the car for his large stature and pulled on his seatbelt, starting up the car once more.

The silence overtook them once again as they continued to drive down towards St Augustine. The tiredness that Skye felt must have taken over as she found Stephen nudging her awake sometime later. As she came to, she found herself blinking slowly, Stephen's face looming over her in the darkness of the car. She jumped back slightly, sliding further down into the passenger seat. Stephen immediately backed off, a look of horror on his face.

"Ah didn't mean teh scare yeh," he spoke tersely.

"No, it was me. I...I'm just not used to seeing you there," Skye replied, rubbing her hands over her face to try and ward off the tiredness. Stephen nodded slowly and silently before Skye reached for the door and pushed it open, exiting the car. Stephen followed her from the driver's side and retrieved his minimal amount of belongs from the trunk. Locking up the car, he passed the keys to Skye, his course fingers brushing against her smoother ones. Skye felt her breath catch in her throat but pulled her hand away all too quickly for Stephen's liking "Well...ummm...this is it," she added nervously as she lead Stephen up the short driveway which was paved with concrete. Two baby palm tress grew on the large expanse of grass which made up the front lawn and the door was flanked with small shrubs.

Opening up the dark brown wooden front door, Skye encouraged Stephen to follow her inside. The medium sized foyer had a shiny dark marble floor and a small mahogany wood table stood to the side of the door, a glass bowl perched on top. Skye threw down her cay keys and turned to lock the door behind her before throwing the house keys in to join the others in the bowl.

Stephen followed the brunette as she lead him through the house, her heels making a soft clicking noise on the hardwood and marble floors. He had to admit that she looked really good. The Skye he had left behind was beautiful all the same but she'd now matured into a sophisticated and stunning looking woman. Her rich chocolate brown hair was twisted up into a neat and tidy bun, one tendril having escaped which hung down the back of the gold top he could now see she was wearing, after she had removed her black suit jacket.

Skye stopped in the kitchen and Stephen followed her in, placing his bag down on the marble topped counter. He nervously shoved his hands into his pockets, looking around the kitchen.

"Yeh've go' a nice house Skye," he told her graciously "It's better than the one we used teh 'ave."

Skye sighed "You must be tired and hungry. I expect you'll want a shower. There's fresh towels in the cupboard at the top of the stairs. The bathroom's the third door on the right. I'll make something for you to eat."

"That'd be nice," he nodded slowly, scooping up his bag and disappearing. Skye could hear his heavy footsteps on the stairs as he climbed them slowly.

She let her head fall back, her eyes closing. Why was this so hard? There was so much tension between them and Skye didn't know how to fix it. They had never even had the chance to talk about what had happened that night. And there was still so many things she had to tell him. But Skye was afraid. She was scared that things would get even worse between them. What were they supposed to say to each other? How were they supposed to fix the broken shell of their relationship?

For all of her sins, Skye wished that she could just go back to that night and stop him. She'd have asked Stephen if they could leave early, get out of Grayer's way. If only she'd known that Grayer was going to do something so monumentally stupid. Confronting Stephen at any time was a bad idea and threatening him was even worse. And that's exactly what Grayer had tried to do. He'd tried to force Stephen out of town with promises of how he would hurt Skye and hurt him. And Stephen had reacted typically.

The shower was running now and Skye took that as her queue to raid the fridge and cupboard for something to appease Stephen's appetite. He was bound to be famished. Skye personally knew nothing of prison food, but she imagined it was not on par with what Stephen's physique needed to keep it in a proper modicum of health.

She settled on the choice of tuna pasta; which she knew would not take a lot of time to whip up. Getting to work on cooking the pasta allowed Skye to become distracted and she almost forgot that Stephen was upstairs. Humming away to herself as she plated up two portions of the pasta; Stephen's one heaped and her's considerably smaller.

Turning around, Skye jumped slightly as Stephen appeared at the door to the kitchen. He had a pair of long shorts on but his top half was completely bare, his pale skin on show for Skye to see. His fiery hair was sticking up at all angles which brought a small smile to her face. Placing the plates down, Skye smiled at Stephen "You're just in time."

He stood fixed to the spot, eyeing her up and down. Skye turned to retrieve some cutlery and when she turned back around, Stephen was still standing in the same spot.

"What's wrong?" she asked, fearing the worst.

"Yeh've go' a kid?"

_END OF CHAPTER_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **ThatGirl54**, **ResplendentAnarchist **(2 reviews) and **Nisi85** for reviewing the last chapter :) XxX

_Chapter Three - Lost With No Direction_

Skye stared at Stephen with wide eyes. She was well and truly thrown with his statement; which it was more of rather than a question. There was no denying she had a child; a daughter, there were photographs and her and Ava plastered all over the walls.

Sucking her lower lip into her mouth, Skye chewed softly on the plump flesh as she took a seat on one of the stools. Placing the cutlery down on the table, she took a deep breath.

"Have a seat," she spoke slowly "Please," was added as an afterthought. Stephen stood idly by the door for a few moments before he obliged and took a seat opposite her, his large frame filling her line of vision "I really didn't want to have to to talk to you about this tonight," Skye tried to choose her words carefully "It's not the easiest thing to..."

"Easiest thing teh wha'?" Stephen snapped "What's so difficult about tellin' me yeh've got a kid Skye?" he raised his lightly coloured eyebrows at her "It doesn't take tha' many words teh break it teh me."

"If you'd just let me explain please?" she managed to squeeze out.

"What is there teh explain teh me? Yeh had a kid and didn't tell me."

"She has a name!" Skye burst out, standing from the stool in a hurry "Stop calling her my kid. Her name is Ava!" the brunette's hands curled around the cutlery tighter as frustration welled in her veins. She sighed and closed her eyes, shaking her head "This," she nodded to him "This is exactly why I didn't want to have this conversation with you tonight."

"Ah've go' every right teh be angry at yeh Skye. Yeh had a kid while Ah was locked up in that place!" he spat at her "Ah've no' seen yeh in four years and Ah get out o' prison teh find out yeh've had a baby. Ah'm surprised yeh brought me back here and yeh're no' shacked up wit' the bastard who got yeh pregnant!"

"I couldn't exactly shack up with you Stephen," she bit back "You were in prison!"

Stephen's dumbfounded look was priceless and Skye had to fight the smirk that was creeping up at the corners of her lips. This was not a funny situation and no good would come of her laughing.

"Ah," he furrowed his eyebrows at her "Ah don't quite understand."

"What's there not to understand?" Skye held her arms out at her sides "I was pregnant when you went to jail. I stopped visiting you when I got too big to hide it. And when Ava was born, I didn't want to bring her into the prison."

"But yeh never told me!" Skye watched as Stephen gripped the edge of the counter in his hands "Why didn't yeh tell me?"

"What was I supposed to say? Oh, I miss you so much, I love you. And while you're sleeping at night in your cell for the next 6 years, just to let you know, I'm having your baby. Would that have sufficed Stephen? Would that have cut it?"

"Enough!" he stood up "Ah don' want teh argue wit' yeh Skye," he shook his head softly "Where is she? Where's Ava?"

Skye swallowed thickly. Stephen asking for their daughter had a profound effect on her and she felt her eyes welling up. She could imagine how he would be with Ava; so gentle, so caring, he would have been amazing with her as a baby. He had always had it in him to be a good father.

"She's...umm...," Skye trailed a hand down over her throat, stroking her hand over her skin comfortingly "She's with a friend of mine. I didn't think that it was the best idea to have her in the house when I brought you back here."

"Wha'?" he turned on her, his eyes wide with anger "Did yeh think Ah'd hurt her? Tha' Ah wouldn't want her. She's me flesh and blood fer Christ's sake!"

"No! Don't be so stupid! I didn't think that. I just...Look at us Stephen. Look. At. Us. We've done nothing but argue since you saw her picture. Imagine the horror she'd suffer at seeing her parents arguing."

Covering his face with his hands, Stephen exhaled deeply "Ah just wish yeh'd told me Skye. Ah really do."

"I wanted to tell you so badly," her lower lip wobbled slightly as she tried to convey how much she had wanted to tell him the truth "I was devestated when you went away. I was so lost without you, you've no idea what it felt like to be out here, with your baby growing inside of me and not being able to tell you. I thought it would make things worse. For you to know that I was on the outside with our baby for 5 years without you. It would have killed you Stephen."

"Does...uhhh...does she know abou' me?" Stephen asked quietly "Did yeh tell her abou' me?" there was such a tone of hope in his voice.

"Of course I did," a dry sob left her mouth "She keeps a picture of you, of us, on her night stand."

"She does?" Skye could hear the wobble in his voice, the raw emotion welling up inside of him. She wanted to take away his pain, to heal the wounds that he had suffered but she was at a loss. How was she supposed to help him when she was already dealing with so much herself?

"Yes. She asks about you all the time, she asks where you are. I've always told her that you just had some things to work out but you'd come and see her one day. I didn't want her to know the truth."

"Wha'? Tha' her father was a criminal?" he spat.

"Yes! I did not think it was a good idea for our daughter to know that you were in prison Stephen. I am not a bad mother for wanting to protect her from the horrors of life for as long as possible. What happened that night was..."

"Ah don' want teh talk abou' that night," the Irishman's words were firm.

"We have to talk about it!" Skye protested "It's been 6 years Stephen, we need to talk about what happened!"

"It's in the past. Ah want teh forget it."

"You killed a man Ste! You can't forget that!"

Stephen was across the room before Skye could blink. He gripped her bare upper arms in his large hands, squeezing them as he pushed the brunette back against the sink, the hard metal digging into her lower back.

"Ah said Ah don' want teh talk abou' it!" his eyes were so bright, so angry. Skye struggled in his hold, frightened by the power behind it.

"You're hurting me," she cried out "Please, let me go. Please, Stephen," his grip only tightened around her arms even more and Skye knew she'd have the bruises to show for it "Stephen," her voice cracked as the tears started to spill down her cheeks.

Recognition washed over his face and then he was backing off, his grip leaving her instantly. He ran his fingers through his messy washed hair and uttered a broken "Ah'm sorry," before he dashed from the room and Skye could hear his footsteps on the stairs. She slid down against the counter, her backside hitting the floor with a dull thud. Rubbing her aching arms, she wondered what had went on in his head that night, and just what was going through his head right now.

_END OF CHAPTER_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **TheGreatWhite**, **Carolina Kel**, **Mysstik Quill**, **ResplendentAnarchist** and **Nisi85** for reviewing the last chapter. XxX

_Chapter Four - My Heart Beats Only For You_

Skye rolled her neck in a circle, feeling the muscles pulling tightly beneath her skin. She gripped a porcelain mug of coffee in her hand, taking a sip of the hot milky liquid. A weary sigh left her lips, and she gripped the counter with her free hand.

"Mornin'!" Stephen's gruff voice sounded behind her, causing the brunette to jump slightly. Looking over her shoulder, she managed to steady the cup in her hand enough to place it down on the counter without spilling any of it.

"Stephen," Skye replied with a small smile "I...I didn't expect you to be awake so early," she turned to face him, folding one arm across her middle.

"Ah've been awake fer a few hours," he shrugged his shoulders "Skye, Ah wanted teh tell yeh tha' Ah'm sorry fer wha' happened last night. Ah let meself get way out o' hand and Ah shouldn't have let tha' happen. If Ah hurt yeh, Ah'm really sorry."

Skye felt her lips turning up at the corners "You gave me a fright. I thought that you might..." she trailed off, unsure of how to break the truth to him.

"Ah would never hurt yeh!" Stephen replied vehemently "Ah can't believe yeh think tha'," he shook his head slowly.

"I'm sorry Stephen. We...we've been apart a long time. You'll have to forgive me but the last time we were together you..." the brunette trailed off again, lost for words. It was so difficult to talk about what happened that night "Look," Skye held a hand up to him "I have to go to work. But I'm picking Ava up from school today. Why don't you come down to my office and meet me and we'll go together?"

Skye watched as his tongue darted out to wet his lips before he nodded "Ah'd like tha'."

"The address is on the fridge for emergency reasons. Come by about 2.30pm."

"Alrigh'," he agreed to her plans "Have a good day at yeh work," the Irishman said softly as Skye passed him. She reached out to touch his shoulder, pushing herself onto her tiptoes to press a light kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you," Skye gripped the back of his head slightly, feeling his longer hair between her fingers before she headed out, picking up her bag and scooping her car keys from the glass bowl in the hall on her way.

* * *

The headquarters of the bank was quiet when Skye arrived and swiped in. She rode the elevator up to her level and stepped off, making a beeline for her office. She knew she'd have a rather large stack of paperwork on her desk but that was the responsibility that came with being a Managing Director to 65 branches. Her job was busy and it kept her tied up until all hours of the night. There were times when Ava was already down for the night before she got home. Skye had quickly gotten used to relying on both her mother and babysitters to fill in for her when she couldn't be there. It was the only thing that she wished was different about her job. If only she got to spend that little bit more time with Ava, then everything would be perfect. But she needed this job; it paid for Ava's schooling, for their house, for the car and for every little thing Ava could ever want or need. Her daughter was by no means spoiled but it meant that Skye always had the ability to say yes instead of no.

While she waited on her computer firing up, Skye glanced over some of the paperwork on her desk. It was all just numbers, numbers and more numbers. Maths was just about the only thing Skye had ever been good at and luckily for her, her job allowed her to put her talent to good use.

"Knock knock," Daisy's voice rang out as she rapped her fist against the door lightly "How did it go?"

Skye looked up, blowing a lock of her hair out of her face "Oh, it went alright," the brunette let out a sigh "It went right out the window."

"What happened?" Daisy managed to find a free space on Skye's desk to park her backside down, balancing on the edge of the wood "Was he different?"

"Of course he was different, Daisy, it's been 6 years. It's just...I didn't expect him to be that different. He's so big now," Skye motioned with her hands, staring off into thin air "And his hair is so long. And I just can't explain what it felt like seeing him again. All these emotions just rushed through me. And then he found out about Ava and everything just went downhill from there," she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth to chew on it nervously.

"He found out about Ava?" Daisy asked with a surprised tone "What did he say?"

"We both said some angry things. I explained why I hadn't told him about her and he tried to understand. But, you know, I think I really hurt him. And I'm not sure how I can make it better."

"You were just doing what you thought was best for you and Ava. Skye you can't change the past. What happened happened and that fueled your decision to keep Ava out of the line of fire. How do imagine she would feel knowing where he's been for the past 6 years?"

"I know I did what I thought was best Daisy but was it really? Did I really do the right thing by shielding her from this? She's going to find out one day."

"Not if you prevent that. This is something she does not need to know about. She doesn't need to know her father was in prison for murder. That he..."

"Yes, okay Daisy, I know what happened. I was there afterall. But I can't shield her from the world forever. And I can't keep Stephen away from her. She's his daughter, his flesh and blood and he deserves the chance to be with her and help bring her up."

"Are you sure that's a good idea Skye?"

"Yes I am!" Skye replied vehemently "He's not a monster," she added "No matter what he does, he'll always be Stephen."

* * *

At 2.29pm, Skye's desk phone trilled with an incoming call. She picked it up, jamming it between her shoulder and ear, her fingers still typing away at the computer.

"Miss Seeley, there's a gentleman here asking for you, a Mr Farrelly," Skye could hear the trepidation in the receptionist's voice.

"I'll be right down," she nodded even though she was on the phone and couldn't be seen. Placing the handset back on the cradle, Skye finished up typing her last sentence and then sent the report she was working on to her boss. This was her short day and she was thankful that Stephen had asked the receptionist to call up or she would have had her head buried in the work until she was running late.

Skye left her office after quickly checking that her computer was off, and took the elevator back down to the ground level. As she exited the elevator once more, she could see Stephen's stark red hair from her vantage point. She briskly walked towards him, taking him in as he stood there in a pair of faded jeans and a black t-shirt. She would definitely need to see about getting him some new clothes, what he was walking about in was completely unsuitable for his new, larger physique.

"Hey," he husked when he spotted her "Yeh ready?"

"Yes, I am. Thanks for getting Gail to call up, I would have been buried in that paperwork till God know's when," she chuckled. Stephen smiled but she could see that it wasn't as sincere as it used to be. Her heart hammered against her chest and she found herself speaking again to cover her dismay "Shall we go?"

He nodded and the two set off across the lobby, heading for the revolving doors. Skye could feel both Gail's and the other receptionist, Marley's eyes on her and Stephen but she didn't give them the satisfaction of looking back. Once they were outside, the two headed around to the parking lot where Skye had left the car.

* * *

The journey to Ava's elementary school was short and filled with the most tense of silences. Skye chewed her bottom lip raw as she worried about what Stephen was thinking, and a small hiss left her lips when she tasted blood. Quickly dabbing it away with her tongue, she hoped that Stephen hadn't seen it or she would be in for a round of questioning.

The gates of the school were busy when they arrived, hordes of parents already there to pick up their kids. Skye managed to find a parking spot opposite the school gates and they got out of the car, walking across the road when it was safe. The brunette stood a little way back from the gates. She knew that Ava would find her, this was the spot they had agreed on and the 5 year old always came here after the bell had rung.

"Are you okay?" Skye managed to force the words out of her mouth. This was such a scary situation. She knew that Stephen was feeling this more than she was but it didn't stop the fear and the worry.

"Ah will be," he nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. His hair was spiked up again, Skye noticed, something that she found strangely more attractive than when he'd worn it shorter and flatter when they were dating.

The shrill sound of the bell ringing broke Skye out of her daze and she glanced towards the gates, watching the kids from the pre-school filing out and into their parents awaiting arms. Something struck a chord inside Skye at that moment and she truly realised that this would be the first time Stephen had ever laid eyes on Ava. What would he think of their daughter? How would he react to her? How would she react to him? Skye just hoped that Ava took this as well as she had prepared her to take it.

Another line of children rushed from the school and Skye saw the bobbing of some red hair. She knew instantly it was Ava; the shade of her hair couldn't be matched by any other child, something she took solely from Stephen. That and his temper, she thought with a smile. The child made a beeline for the spot where Skye and Stephen stood and when she glanced up she stopped in her tracks, finding that her mother was now stood with a man who had never been there before. He had red hair, just like her. He had blue eyes, just like her. The only difference was how pale his skin was.

Skye watched the emotions on Ava's face. She knew that Ava knew who Stephen was but it was a lot for a child to take in. Her little girl's face tilted to the side as she looked more closely at Stephen. And then, the most beautiful thing happened. Ava's face broke out into a 1000 watt smile and she rushed to Stephen, only one word leaving her mouth.

"Daddy!" she screamed at him.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **Nisi85**, **wickedly-pure**, **Keeper of Oz**, **BuTTerflyKiSSes93**, **ThatGirl54**, **ResplendentAnarchist** and **RipleyZero** for reviewing the last chapter. Enjoy XxX

_Chapter Five - Don't Lose Your Grip On The Dreams Of The Past_

Skye watched curiously from the doorway of Ava's bedroom, her eyes feasting on the sight of Stephen putting their daughter to bed. Ava watched Stephen, her attention solely devoted to every move he made, perhaps out of fear that he would disappear before her very eyes. The white wooden bed creaked as Stephen gently place his weight down on it, sitting alongside Ava as he bundled her under the covers. The brunette could at least say one thing for him; he was taking to fatherhood like a dream.

"Your voice sounds funny," Skye heard Ava say and she saw the smile appear upon her little girl's face.

"Tha's because Ah'm no' from aroun' here," Stephen told her "Ah was born in Ireland."

"Ireland," the 5 year old sighed blissfully, a childish smile on her face as she closed her eyes, almost trying to picture Stephen's home country "What's it like there?"

Skye had told Ava of Ireland many times but clearly the child wanted to hear it from her father.

"Ah think it's time yeh go' some sleep," Stephen tugged the lilac comforter up to Ava's chin "Ah promise that Ah'll take yeh teh Ireland some day," he bent his head and pressed a sweet kiss to Ava's cheek "Goodnigh'."

"Goodnight Daddy."

He stood from the bed, watching his little girl fall into a slumber before he turned to face Skye. His cheeks tainted a very slight red colour when he saw Skye watching them and then he left the room, closing the door behind him so that he and the brunette were alone in the darkened hallway. The silence was tense between them, filled with just the sounds of their breathing and the quiet ticking of the clock on the wall.

"You're doing a good job," Skye broke the silence "I always knew you'd be an amazing father."

"Then why did yeh wait so long teh tell me?" he asked quietly.

"I think we've discussed this before," Skye replied "It would have been no good to either of us if I had told you whilst you were in prison. It would have only caused a lot more chaos. You know that."

"It wouldn' have been easy, Ah know tha'," Stephen nodded slowly "Ah just wish Ah had had more time wit' her."

"You've got all of the time in the world now, Stephen. We're not going anywhere."

* * *

The cold metal bit into Skye's forehead, beads of sweat lining her skin. A dry sob left her lips as she sat on her knees, her head bowed.

"Look a' me!" the voice above her commanded. Skye's lower lip wobbled, her whole body shaking physically. Blood rushed into her ears and she tipped her head back slowly, looking at the man standing above her from under her lashes. His blue eyes regarded her with a look of disgust and of pure hatred. With a snarl, he forced the metal tip of the gun against her forehead harder, wrenching a sob from deep within Skye.

"Please don't do this," Skye pleaded with him "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean..."

"Yeh didn't wha'? Wha' didn't yeh mean?!" he hollered at her, particles of spit flying wildly from his mouth.

Skye could feel her stomach heaving, her heart hammering against her chest. She chanced another glance up at the towering figure above her but it seemed that was her undoing. He cocked the hammer of the gun, pulling it back and his finger squeezed the trigger as he dug the metal tip firmly into her head.

Waking up with a start, Skye threw the covers off her and sat up in bed. Her skin was clammy and sticky and her heartbeat was racing formidably in her chest. She pressed a damp palm against her equally damp chest and tried to reassure herself that she was alright. Glancing across her shoulder, she looked at the clock with it's blinking rouge numbers. A sigh left her lips when she saw that it was only a little past 2am. Paperwork was strewn across the bed and a thick hardback was lying face down, open at the page where she'd left off reading before falling asleep. Images of her recurring nightmare still haunted the brunette as she lay back against her now propped up pillows and let out a rush of air. It always felt so real; the gun against her head, the trembling and the sobs, the sound of the hammer cocking before the pistol fired. Closing her eyes for a moment or two, Skye rubbed the sleep out of them and then resigned herself to the fact that she would be getting no more sleep that night.

* * *

When morning came, Skye was still trembling from the dream. Her insides twisted with a horrible feeling that she couldn't place and her eyes burned from lack of sleep. She showered and with shaky fingers, managed to pull on her outfit; grey plaid flare leg trousers and black all over sheer boyfriend shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Stephen was already in the kitchen when she came downstairs and she noticed he had dressed a little differently. His thickly muscled legs were sheathed in a pair of plain black pants and he wore a pale blue shirt on his upper half. The sleeves were shoved up to his elbows, showing off his creamy skin and his hair was gelled up into those spikes he now liked to wear.

"Morning," Skye spoke lowly, her voice tainted with sleepiness. Stephen turned at the sound of her voice and she noticed he was also wearing a black tie. Her eyes widened with curiosity and she waited on him telling her what was going on.

"Mornin'," he grinned lazily at her and then glanced down at his attire "Ah've go' a few things teh deal wit' this morning," he informed the brunette.

"Oh," Skye's mouth formed a round shape "Anything I can help with?"

"Uhh...no," Stephen confessed "Ah've go' a meeting wit' me parole officer," he shrugged sheepishly, lowering his voice in case Ava heard them talking "An' then Ah'm meetin' up wit' a friend."

Skye's mind started running at a million miles per minute but she didn't want to let Stephen know that letting him out of her sight again gave her a unnerving feeling. He was a grown man for God sake and the last she needed was to start acting like a ball and chain.

"Well, you've got my numbers if you need anything," Skye replied loosely, opening the fridge to get some orange juice for Ava. The little girl's feet sounded on the stairs no more than a few moments later and she came running downstairs and into the kitchen, still in her pyjamas and with her bear firmly in her arms.

"Daddy!" she cried out, rushing towards Stephen who picked up her slight frame with ease.

"Mornin'," he whispered to her softly and she grinned as she wrapped her tiny arms around his thick neck.

"Will you take me to the park today, Daddy?" Ava asked as she pulled back to look at him.

"You've got school today, sweetheart," Skye reminded her "And Daddy has a lot of things to do as well."

"But I don't want to go to school. I want to stay with you and Daddy!" Ava cried out, huffing in Stephen's arms.

"Well, that's just too bad. You are going to school," Skye was in no mood for one of Ava's tantrums. It wasn't often that the young girl spat her dummy out figuratively speaking but when she did, the 5 year old made sure everybody knew exactly what she thought of them.

"I am not!" Stephen put a wriggling Ava back down. She was quite a sight, standing there in her pink pyjamas with her teddy bear and to Stephen, this cute little pout on her lips, second only to Skye's own pout when she didn't get what she wanted.

"Ava," Stephen said her name softly "Listen teh what yeh're mam's tellin' yeh."

"No! I don't want to go to school!" she stomped her foot on the kitchen floor and Skye let out a sigh, rubbing her forehead with the tips of her fingers. A headache was just starting to set in, the dull throb emanating from the her left temple.

"Ava!" Skye raised her voice very slightly "I am not going to argue with you. You are going to school and nothing you say with change that. Now get your butt upstairs and I'll be up in a minute to get you dressed!"

Ava looked between her parents, her lower lip beginning to wobble. Stephen was itching to take his little girl into his arms and comfort her but he knew that Skye was right. Neither of them should bow down to Ava's temper tantrum and the only way to teach her a lesson was to stick to their guns and not let her win.

"I hate you," she pointed her stubby little finger at Skye before taking off upstairs as fast her little legs could carry her.

"Yeah, well you'll get over it," Skye shouted after her. Turning to look at Stephen, the brunette gave him a nervous smile "She's doesn't get like that often. But when she pouts, she does it with grandeur," Skye rolled her eyes.

"She's a little like someone else Ah used teh know," Stephen fixed his eyes upon Skye with a knowing look.

"Yes, well, we've all had our moments," Skye gave a little laugh "What time will you be finished running your errands at? If you're not too busy, you can pick Ava up from school if you want? Because I'm working late."

"Ah'd like tha'," Stephen told her.

"Provided that she is out of her mood, I'm sure she'd like it if you took her to the playground afterwards."

"Ah can do tha'," he nodded slowly, turning to the coffee he'd been preparing when Skye came into the kitchen "Would yeh like a coffee?" he asked.

"No thanks. I better go and get Little Miss Tantrum ready for school," she replied with a soft laugh before sauntering out of the kitchen.

Stephen watched her go and his thoughts wandered to that of his broken family. How was he supposed to fix the mess that he'd gotten himself in to? He'd messed up everything by being a stupid young man and not listening to what Skye had told him. And now they were left battling to glue together the broken pieces of their relationship and salvage something out of the wreckage. He had a power of hard work ahead of him to repair the damage he'd done and he just hoped deep down that Skye would stick by him through the tough times they had ahead of them.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N:**_ Thank you to **Keeper of Oz**, **ThatGirl54**, **wickedly-pure**, **Zizfox**, **Nisi85** and **RipleyZero **for reviewing the last chapter. Enjoy XxX

_Chapter Six - Feel My Nightmares Watching Me_

Skye closed the front door behind her, a heavy breath leaving her body. Her shoulders slumped, the stress of her job weighing heavily on her. Her eyes burned with tiredness - the sleepless nights having continued in the month since Stephen's release from prison. That awful nightmare still plagued her and each night a little bit more was revealed to her. She still didn't know who pointed the pistol at her forehead and the voice always changed, preventing her from identifying it. However, the outcome was always the same - a bullet to the head and waking up in a cold sweat, chest heaving and heart racing.

Gripping the shopping bags in her hands, Skye heaved them into the kitchen, her feet throbbing from being in heels all day. The bags made a loud thud on the counter top as Skye placed them down, rubbing her lips together softly before beginning to unpack the groceries that she had purchased. She was in the midst of rearranging the fridge to make room for the fresh fruit juice and milk that she had bought when she heard shuffling footsteps behind her.

"Ah thought ah heard yeh gettin' in," Stephen said. Skye glanced across her shoulder, propping the fridge door open using her arm. She sent him a small smile, eyes red rimmed from tiredness.

"Hi," Skye replied, forcing a little bit of perkiness into her voice despite how she felt. "How was your day?"

"It was alright," Stephen shrugged, approaching the rest of the bags and starting to pull items out of them. "Ah met up wit' a few friends. And ah helped Ava wit' her homework after ah picked her up."

Skye grinned at this. "She didn't give you any trouble did she? She went to sleep okay?"

"No, she went down fine. She always does," Stephen chuckled as he shoved a few packets of pasta into a cupboard. "How was yeh're day?"

"Stressful," Skye shrugged. "I've got a lot of paperwork to finish up tonight."

"Yeh didn't bring work home wit' yeh again did yeh, Skye?" Stephen raised his eyebrows at her, turning to brace his back against the counter, his long, pale fingers curling around the counter.

"I had to. I'd never have gotten home this early if I hadn't."

"This early?" Stephen asked, checking his watch. "It's no' far from 10 pm Skye. Yeh've been at work since before 8 am."

Skye let out a sigh. "This is early for me, Stephen. I told you that my work life was hectic. To support Ava, I have got to work," she replied, turning around to look at him as she shut the fridge.

"Yeh work too much. Yeh've go' teh give yourself a break, lass," Stephen shook his head at her.

"And where would that get me? A break would mean that I can't pay the mortgage on this house, that I can't afford to keep the car and I can't afford to put Ava through school and give her everything that I never had. I haven't got any other option. She's my pride and joy, Ste."

"Ah know tha'," Stephen agreed with her. "She's me daughter too. Ah want teh give her everything she could ever want, Skye. But it's going teh take me some time teh get back on me feet."

Skye nodded slowly, holding her hands up with her palms facing him. "I know that you're trying, Stephen and I know that it must be very difficult for you to readjust to life outside but I can't help but think that you've got wool pulled over your eyes. You obviously don't understand how hard it's been for me out here!"

"Excuse me?" Stephen narrowed his eyes at her. "Skye, ah don't want a fight. Ah'm just-"

"You're just what? What are you trying to do, Stephen? Are you trying to make me feel like an inadequate parent because I can't be here for my daughter 24/7? I work hard to provide a good life for her because I don't want her brought up in the kind of environment that I was. I don't want-"

"Yeh don't want what happened teh us teh happen teh Ava?" he folded his large arms across his chest.

"Y-yes," Skye's voice broke as she admitted the truth. The young brunette didn't want her daughter's life to pan out the way her's had. It wasn't much to ask that Ava grew up and made better choices that Skye had.

"Do yeh regret it?" Stephen asked as he stood up to his full height, unfolding his arms and letting them drop by his sides.

"Regret what?" Skye questioned as she wiped her face with her hands, swiping the few tears that had escaped her eyes away. Stephen moved closer to her and she tried to back away into the counter, turning her head violently away from him before he grabbed her face so that she would look at him. He tipped her head back, his fingers smoothing against the wispy bits of her hair at her hairline.

"Look at me!" he demanded, forcing her to meet his silvery gaze. "Do yeh regret being wit' me?" Stephen had such a tone of heartfelt sadness to his voice that Skye almost felt her own heart break. She struggled to find the words to explain to him how she felt, trying not to sob and fall into his arms.

"No," she whispered quietly with a level of conviction that even surprised her. Stephen seemed to breathe some sort of relief at her words. Skye felt his hot and sweet smelling breath against her forehead as he breathed deeply, implying that he was almost trying to absorb what she was saying. She relished in the feel of his touch, so bereft of it after 6 years away from him. It amazed her that her body could be so attune to his touch after so long without it. Skye felt Stephen's lips against her forehead, soft and warm as he began to plant kisses down the side of her face, moving closer to her lips every time. The soft hair of his beard tickled her cheeks and chin. Her breath caught in the back of her throat when the tip of his hot tongue traced her lower lip and he attempted to pull the plump flesh into his mouth. When a soft cry filtered through the house it forced Skye to pull away - Ava was having a nightmare. "I-I have t-to," she stammered and removed herself from his embrace, escaping the kitchen as quickly as possible. Her body was shaking uncontrollably and her heart was beating furiously against her ribs. Taking a shaky breath, Skye climbed the stairs to attend to their daughter.

Meanwhile, Stephen was trying hard to control his own emotions in the kitchen. Clenching his fists together tightly, he tried to rid himself of the anger he felt at being interrupted. He knew that their child was more important than his lame attempt at reminding Skye of what they'd had but it didn't make him any less pissed off. Spreading his arms, he braced his hands against the counter and dropped his head, breathing in and out deeply and slowly.

He was trying so hard to repair the damage he had caused but it was so much harder than he had imagined it would ever be. His relationship with his daughter was thriving but he could only wonder what she would think of him if she knew where he'd really been all of her life. Children had opinions and even at only 5 years old, Stephen knew that Ava's true opinion of him would be the cruelest of all.

And then there was Skye. His beautiful, smart, brilliant Skye - who was still hurting so bad from what he'd done all those years ago. He'd only been trying to protect her. But it was only now that he could see that she had been trying to protect him too but he'd not listened. He'd refused to listen to her advice and that had sealed their fate - blowing their lives to pieces.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


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